Is Headlight Glare Making Night Driving Harder?

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It's not just a problem for drivers either - simply crossing a road at night as a pedestrian can be hazardous when one vehicle's lights are so bright it becomes almost impossible to spot a smaller or less well lit hazard that's closer but approaching from the same direction.

Sometimes I wonder why we need headlights at all on roads with decent street lighting - the number of cars I see pulling out of petrol stations at night without noticing that all their lights off until someone else flashes them suggests that the extra illumination isn't really needed.

   - Andy. 

But where does the problem lie Andy? Is it with car designers or manufacturers or with government legislation? 

Personally I do feel that sometimes the designers suffer from blind enthusiasm for their designs to the point where it becomes design for design sake rather then necessity or practicality.

For example there's one car I've noticed (can't remember the make or model) that has it's indicator bulb in the centre of the rear lights. So the orange indicator light is surrounded by a red rear light /bright red brake light  when it's activated. Orange and red are very close on the colour spectrum meaning that it can be really hard to distinguish between the two especially when the brake lights are also applied with a tiny little orange flashing light in the centre! 

Surely someone at some point in the design process and sign off would have picked up that it could potentially be a visibility problem? 

Lisa Miles said:

Surely someone at some point in the design process and sign off would have picked up that it could potentially be a visibility problem? 

I agree but I think you might find that some designers will sit in the vehicle they design rather than in the vehicle behind or in front.  Personally I think vehicle designed/manufactured/distributed or sold in the UK need to have the indicators on the outside edge of the vehicle as has always been the case.

Cars are a very good example of where what is in effect product standards legislation actually saves lives. I am old enough to recall the maker's opposition to seat belts not being an optional extra that could be charged for , and when I learnt to drive wearing them was not compulsory. Nowadays that would probably cause an outcry, and over time many other other things ABS, minimum tyre standards etc were all driven by legislation. Even the MOT test (as the "ten year test" ) was pushed upon an unwilling trade and public from 1960.

Mike.
PS Amusing now, in something of a reversal, vehicles over 40 years old and not substantially changed in the last 30, are MOT exempt - the very sort of machine the original legislation would have wanted to capture.

I agree Sergio!

As Andy mentions even as a pedestrian it can be difficult to determine where a car is going if the indicators aren't clear. Again I saw one the other day where the indicator was a pulsing/chasing orange beam of light type affair (much like the red light on KIT from Knight Rider if you're familiar with that TV show)  along the top of the headlight and rear lights again making it not only confusing but reducing its visibility not only to pedestrians but also to other road users. 

But where does the problem lie Andy?

Probably equally across the board - not least the buying public that often choose something "designer looking" over base practicalities, and of course the car manufacturers are in a competitive market so what sells goes. Ideally education would mean people only bought sensible things, but back in the real world I guess legislation/regulation will have to be the back stop. Not ideal as they can really only address and issue after it becomes a problem, but such if life. 

Orange and red are very close on the colour spectrum meaning that it can be really hard to distinguish between the two especially when the brake lights are also applied with a tiny little orange flashing light in the centre! 

Ditto from front indicators against bright white headlights - again often an issue for pedestrians/cyclists trying to figure out which way vehicles intend to go at junctions.

   - Andy.

But where does the problem lie Andy?

Probably equally across the board - not least the buying public that often choose something "designer looking" over base practicalities, and of course the car manufacturers are in a competitive market so what sells goes. Ideally education would mean people only bought sensible things, but back in the real world I guess legislation/regulation will have to be the back stop. Not ideal as they can really only address and issue after it becomes a problem, but such if life. 

Orange and red are very close on the colour spectrum meaning that it can be really hard to distinguish between the two especially when the brake lights are also applied with a tiny little orange flashing light in the centre! 

Ditto from front indicators against bright white headlights - again often an issue for pedestrians/cyclists trying to figure out which way vehicles intend to go at junctions.

   - Andy.

2nd though - how about an annual "wooden spoon" competition for the car manufacturer with the stupidest design feature ... might encourage manufacturers to take a 2nd look at things?

   - Andy.

OMG Andy I LOVE that idea!  

We should do that ourselves through a poll on EngX! My vote would definitely go to the manufacturer with the indicator in the middle of the rear lights! 

I'm going to be on the look out for them now as I really want to know which manufacturer it is.... 

My nomination for the wooden spoon award goes to the worrying trend of SUVs and CrossOvers that have auto boot/trunk/Powered tailgates closing by the push of a button or remote or sensor that incorporates the special feature of being able to sever your finger off if caught between the boot door and the main chassis of the frame.  Below is a partial list of cars affected

Tesla Cyber Truck

BMW X7

I am sure if people trawl the internet they will find other makes and models.